˜ e age of resilience - johns hopkins hospital · ask your doctor for a prescrip-tion. at johns...

� e Age of Resilience

Insight and news from Johns Hopkins MedicineFALL 2011

Get back in

shape after a heart attack

Are your child’s worries

cause for greater

concern?

Finally, a solution

for stubborn leg wounds

Johns Hopkins geriatricians help seniors stay healthy, vital and fit

Complimentsof Johns Hopkins

MedicineInternational

FdJHFA1102_01_Cover.indd 1 9/29/11 1:29 PM

THERE IS A LOT OF TALK about how probiotics can help you achieve optimal digestive health. But which claims are true?

Evidence suggests probiotics offer certain health benefi ts, says Linda A. Lee, M.D., a Johns Hopkins gastroenterologist, but there is no proof yet that they’re a cure-all.

“Probiotics may help some people who have diarrhea when they take antibiotics, or women with bloating from irritable bowel syndrome,” she explains. “They may also be helpful when used along with medical ther-apy in the treatment of ulcerative colitis.”

Probiotics exist in many different strains, and Lee recommends you ask Exploring

the Science of Pleasure

FALL 2011

QUICK CONSULT

4| Making a Strong Case for Cardiac Rehab Shape up after a heart attack.

5| Stopping Childhood Anxiety Before It Starts Hint: Start with family history.

FIRST PERSON

10| Edging Out Vein Disorders Doctors heal a stubborn ulcer.

SECOND OPINION

11| Take Control Find relief for fecal incontinence.

Contents

6|ON THE COVER

The Age of ResilienceAt Johns Hopkins, getting older means keeping your vitality.

SIGN UP for Health Information from Johns Hopkins

… and more! Get your free email subscrip-tion by visiting hopkinsmedicine.org/international/news_publications.

PROBIOTICS: Pros and Cons

■ Health tips ■ News about research and treatment options

■ Patient stories ■ Reminders about Johns Hopkins seminars

■ Videos

EACH MONTH, YOU’LL RECEIVE:

Want the latest news on health and wellness top-ics important to you and your family, on everything

from snoring to diets to state-of-the-art treat-

ments? Sign up now to get trusted information from the experts at Johns Hopkins Medicine with Hopkins News for You, a new e-newsletter delivered straight to your inbox.

THAT CERTAIN ACTIVITIES and substances are pleasurable is not news. But understanding why is the subject of continu-ous research.

David J. Linden, Ph.D., a professor of neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, has signi� cantly advanced our knowledge about pleasure. He published his � ndings in the book � e Compass of Pleasure: How Our Brains Make Fatty Foods, Orgasm, Exercise, Marijuana, Generosity, Vodka, Learning, and Gambling Feel So Good.

According to Linden, everyone’s brain has a “pleasure circuit” that is active during pleasurable activity. � e pleasure circuit is activated both by vices, such as gambling, and virtuous activities, such as exercise.

For most people, the end result is pleasure. But in those who have variants in their genes that alter how signals are sent to the pleasure circuit, something else happens.

“In the development of addiction, people move from a state in which they take pleasure

from the substance or behavior and move into a place where they aren’t taking much pleasure at all,” Linden explains. “� ey just do it to avoid withdrawal or feeling bad.”

� is area of study, which is ongoing, can help doctors better understand and treat addiction.

DISCOVER MORE ABOUT

THE COMPASS OF P LEASURE

and its author, Johns Hopkins neuroscientist David J. Linden, Ph.D., as well as his research,

what fuels his interest in the biology of pleasure and what hangs on his of� ce wall.

Visit hopkinsmedicine.org/pleasurepaths

to read more now.

Use Your Head About Concussion Recovery

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FdJHFA1102_02-3_Insight.indd 2 9/30/11 9:14 AM

healthinsights

THERE IS A LOT OF TALK about how probiotics can help you achieve optimal digestive health. But which claims are true?

Evidence suggests probiotics offer certain health benefi ts, says Linda A. Lee, M.D., a Johns Hopkins gastroenterologist, but there is no proof yet that they’re a cure-all.

“Probiotics may help some people who have diarrhea when they take antibiotics, or women with bloating from irritable bowel syndrome,” she explains. “They may also be helpful when used along with medical ther-apy in the treatment of ulcerative colitis.”

Probiotics exist in many different strains, and Lee recommends you ask

your doctor or pharmacist about ones that have proved effective in clinical tri-als. As for yogurt, she says, be aware that not every brand contains the benefi cial microorganisms.

Unless your doctor says probiotics may help with a specifi c issue, Lee says a healthy diet is the best way to achieve optimal digestive health.

PROBIOTICS: Pros and Cons NEW BUILDINGS

EXPAND OUR LEGACY

SAVE THE

DATE

Join Linda Lee, M.D., and other Johns Hopkins experts at A Woman’s Journey, Johns Hopkins Medicine’s annual women’s health conference, on Nov. 12. For more information, call +1-410-955-8660 or visit hopkinsmedicine.org/awomansjourney.

WOMEN’S HEALTH CONFERENCE

Use Your Head About Concussion Recovery

When the new 1.6-million-square-foot buildings

open at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in April 2012,

they will offer hotel-style amenities for patients,

families and visitors to enhance every aspect of

their experience. Designed with the patient in

mind, the Sheikh Zayed Tower and The Charlotte

R. Bloomberg Children’s Center will feature:

� All private patient rooms, private bathrooms,

walk-in showers, and sleep sofas for families.

� A wide range of dining options, including a food

court, gourmet market, and other restaurants

and shops for different tastes.

� A two-story indoor play area, including a

basketball court, for pediatric patients.

� A dramatic art collection featuring national

and international artists.

� Artistically landscaped gardens for

meditation and re� ection.

� Valet parking and a close,

convenient parking garage.

To take a virtual tour of the

new building or to learn more, visit

explorehopkinshospital.org.

If your child has had a concussion while playing sports, he or she needs adequate time to recover before returning to the game. How much time, says George Jallo, M.D., a Johns Hopkins pediatric neurosurgeon, depends on the severity of the concussion and whether your child has symp-toms, including neck pain, nausea, dizziness, balance problems and sensitivity to light.

“Anyone who has had a concussion should wait at least one week after symptoms have cleared before returning to sports,” he says. “If your child has symptoms like a headache or trouble concentrating, it’s too soon to even return to school.”

Jallo recommends asking your child’s physician for guidance on when your child can safely return to school and sports.

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Making a Strong Case for Cardiac

Rehab

quickconsult

To learn more about cardiac rehab, visit hopkinsmedicine.org/heart/cardiac_rehab. For more information or to make an appointment, call +1-443-287-6080.

After a heart attack or heart surgery, your hardest working

muscle needs to get back in shape. Stuart Russell, M.D., director of heart failure and transplant

at Johns Hopkins, explains why cardiac patients should take

advantage of rehabilitative care

Can you tell me more about the benefits?

There is improvement in survival and reduction in heart attacks after rehab. In a study of 21,000-plus patients across the U.S., cardiac rehab led to a 17 percent reduction in heart attacks after one year and a 47 percent reduction after two years. Older patients who went to rehab experienced an 88 percent reduc-tion in hospital readmissions versus a 70 percent reduction in readmis-sions for those who didn’t do cardiac rehab. It improves exercise capacity and leads to a decreased incidence of depression.

What is cardiac rehabilitation?

Cardiac rehab is a combination of exercise training, muscle/strength training, plus teach-ing people how to lead heart-healthy lives. It includes dietary education as well as work on either a bike or a treadmill, and weightlifting. Each session is about 30 minutes to an hour. Cardiac rehab saves lives, keeps you out of the hospital and helps you feel better.

How do I sign up?

Ask your doctor for a prescrip-tion. At Johns Hopkins, we use monitors that allow us to continu-ously measure your heart’s electri-cal activity while you’re exercising. We also test your aerobic capac-ity, so we can prescribe the right amount of exercise to help you reach fitness goals. Also, if you come to Johns Hopkins, you have the opportunity to participate in research trials that help us improve care. But whether you come to us or go elsewhere, you need to go. n

Who needs it?

Cardiac rehab is for people who have suffered a heart attack, had a stent placed or undergone cardiac surgery. Some insurance companies may pay for as many as 30 sessions after one of these cardiac events. Unfortunately, physi-cians send less than 20 percent of their cardiac patients to rehab.

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ALTHOUGH IT’S PERFECTLY normal for children to worry sometimes, it’s not always harmless. One in 10 children ages 5 to 16 su� ers from an anxiety dis-

order, compared with one in 20 children who has the more widely known attention de� cit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

General anxiety disorder (GAD) is a diag-nosable illness in children. “� ese are the kids who are the worriers,” says Golda Ginsburg, Ph.D., a professor and child psychologist at Johns Hopkins. “� ey worry about safety, mak-ing friends, school performance. It’s chronic, severe and di� cult to control.” Ginsburg says these children seek a lot of reassurance, but reassurance doesn’t reduce the anxiety.

Untreated anxiety can cause developmental problems in children because it often interferes with sleep, prevents them from going places, and a� ects their interaction with others.

GAD is far more common in children than panic disorder, which occurs when a

child has panic symptoms such as a racing heartbeat, di� culty breathing and a feeling of loss of control. And experts know GAD can run in families. “All anxiety disorders have a biological and environmental component,” Ginsburg says.

� at’s one reason Johns Hopkins researchers are focusing on stopping anxiety before it starts by studying the children of parents who have been diagnosed with the disorder. Prevention is key, Ginsburg says.

“If it’s at the disorder level,” she adds, “then treatment is needed.”

To treat children su� ering from anxiety, doctors generally will use cognitive behav-ioral therapy or medication, or both. A 2008 study by Johns Hopkins researchers showed that combination therapy was most e� ective, with 80 percent of combination-treated children showing improvement; in a more recent study, however, symptoms improved but in many cases the illness didn’t go away entirely. �

Pay attention to three clues that your child may have higher-than-normal levels of anxiety or worry:

If you are struggling with anxiety and are concerned that your child could suffer from it, too, Johns Hopkins is seeking participants for a clinical trial on prevention strategies for childhood anxiety. Call +1-443-287-4349 or email [email protected] for more details.

How Do I Know If My Child Has Anxiety?

Stopping Childhood

A N X I E T YBefore It Starts

ARE YOUR KIDS AT RISK? CHECK YOUR FAMILY HISTORY

1 Severity. How out of proportion is the worry to the problem?

2 Frequency. How often does your child worry? Is it every day and repeatedly without diminishing?

3 Interference and avoidance. Is worrying impairing your child’s life in a signi� cant way, causing sig-ni� cant distress and keeping him or her from enjoying activities or going places?


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SILIENCERE| 6 | johns hopkins health fall 2011 +1-443-287-6080 | hopkinsmedicine.org/international

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SILIENCEAge

THE

OF

Johns Hopkins geriatricians

help seniors stay healthy, vital

and � t

A YEAR AGO, a new physi-cian in his residency at Johns Hopkins found himself at the bedside of an older patient whose chart included a long list of problems. In addition to heart disease, diabetes and several other serious illnesses, the patient was depressed and hadn’t walked in six months because of weakness and arthritis.

� e resident confessed to the attend-ing physician that, given the patient’s advanced age, it seemed like a hopeless case, and that it made little sense to consider adding to the many treatments the patient had already received. In most hospitals, the attending physician might well have agreed. But this physician was Danelle Cayea, M.D., director of edu-cation for Johns Hopkins’ Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, and a strong believer that even older patients who have a range of di� cult conditions can sometimes be helped in a big way by the right medical care.

Cayea prompted the intern to look into treating the patient’s depression, add in an intensive regimen of physical therapy, and consider how the patient’s many medica-tions could be streamlined and adjusted. � e intern eventually was rewarded by seeing the patient walking around, feel-ing better and smiling again. “� at young physician learned that a patient’s problems shouldn’t simply be attributed to old age and left untreated,” Cayea says. “� ere’s a lot we can do for many of them.”

Unique ChallengesOpening other doctors’ eyes to the pos-sibilities of helping older adults regain and keep their health is just one part of the far-reaching mission of the Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, under the leadership of Johns Hopkins physician and researcher Samuel Durso, M.D. If the geriatrics division’s goals are ambitious, Durso says, it’s because the challenges are monumental.

Aging patients, he notes, often face a mixture of extraordinary challenges, including su� ering from multiple major diseases and both physical and cogni-tive impairment. What’s more, he adds, treating them involves coordinating care among multiple practitioners, institutions and family members, trying to sort out



HOSPITAL CARE at HOME

FREE ONLINE SEMINAR

HEALTHY AGINGTuesday, December 13, 7–8 p.m. EST

Join Johns Hopkins geriatrician Alicia Arbaje, M.D., as she discusses strategies to avoid

common geriatric syndromes and when to seek the opinion of a geriatrician.

To register, visit hopkinsmedicine.org/intlseminars.

For more informa-tion, appointments or consultations, call +1-443-287-6080.

the dozen or more potentially interacting drugs that these patients take, and overcoming resistance from patients themselves that symptoms are “part of aging.”

� e sheer numbers of older patients who have these com-plicated problems suggest that the health care system badly needs to place more focus on geriatrics. “Older adults already make up the largest population of chronically ill people and a large proportion of those who are hospitalized,” Durso says, “and those numbers are growing.”

Addressing the Cascade into FrailtyGeriatrics is a � eld that was in many ways born at Johns Hopkins, and with a full-time faculty of more than 30 people, the geriatrics division is now working to extend the � eld’s impact and bene� ts on several fronts. One of these fronts is conducting lab research to identify medical conditions that may be unique to older adults, � nding the root causes of

these conditions, and coming up with ways to translate these insights into new drugs, better care pathways and other interventions.

Front and center among the research initiatives is a drive to � g-ure out what’s behind the general

decline in strength and resiliency that a� ects older adults over time, a decline often marked by weight loss, trouble walking, weakness and susceptibility to infection and other disorders. It’s a syndrome called frailty, and it remains a sharp mystery why it a� ects some older people much earlier than others.

“If you look at a group of 80-year-olds, it’s di� cult to explain why some still have energy to exercise and baby-sit and go to the store, while others can’t get up o� the couch,” Cayea says. “Disease and lifestyle play a role, but it looks as if there may be a speci� c biological mechanism, and that gives us hope that we can develop ways to head o� that decline.”

What Can Be Done Right NowAlthough this sort of research is likely to pay o� down the road, Johns Hopkins is equally determined to a� ect the way care is delivered to older adults today. For starters, the faculty is working to help doctors do a better job of treating the older patients they see in the hospital. � e biggest single challenge, says Michele Bellantoni, M.D.,

clinical director of the Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, is trying to cope with the multiple chronic diseases that a� ict many of these patients.

“Managing one of the conditions often impacts another,” Bellantoni says. “� at means we need to re� ne the treatments to prevent making any of the conditions worse.”

She notes, for example, that after she recently placed one diabetes patient on a healthier diet, she also had to reduce the dosage of the woman’s blood-sugar-lowering medication lest the diet leave her with too little blood sugar. � en the patient began having tremors suggesting early Parkinson’s

disease, leading to a medication to slow its progress. But that medication a� ected the patient’s blood

pressure, requiring a dosage adjustment to the medication she was taking for that

problem. And so it goes for many such patients.

Even a routine follow-up exam after hospitalization needs to be a lot less routine when older adults are involved, Bellantoni notes. She has her exams start in the waiting

| 8 | johns hopkins health fall 2011 hopkinsmedicine.org/international


room, where she says patients may have trouble getting up from their chairs when their names are called. “Di� culty standing is a real predictor of physical frailty,” she notes.

She also schedules at least 30 minutes for any exam—more than twice the usual time allotted to younger patients—knowing that it may take 15 minutes just for the patient to get undressed, and that it may take the patient time to recall key facts about symptoms and medications. But the extra attention brings a huge payo� , she � nds. “Compared to patients who don’t get this kind of follow-up care, our patients have half the return rate to the hospital,” she says, “and they’re more satis� ed with the results.”

Highly Individualized CarePart of the trick is to be ready to go beyond the standard rule book when it comes to treating speci� c disorders, Durso says.

“Having multiple chronic conditions means that no single problem is treated the way you’d treat it for someone who just has that one condition,” he explains. “Every older per-son’s care has to become highly individualized, based on good judgment and experience.” He adds that taking patients o� some of the many drugs they’re on can provide more bene� t

than adding a new drug, because of side e� ects and drug interactions.

Cayea notes that doctors frequently have to work harder to explain treatments in the right terms to older patients, or else they may not adhere to them. “� ey may not care that it lowers their blood pressure,” she says, “but they may care that it will make them feel well enough to make it to church on Sunday or to climb the steps to their home.”

Johns Hopkins is also forging new alliances to raise the quality of care of older adults. It has linked up with psychiatrists and neurologists to create a gero-psychiatric specialty for evaluating memory disorders, which often coexist with emotional and neurological disorders in older patients. And a new geriatric ortho-pedic service helps patients who have hip fractures get into surgery as quickly as possible, which helps reduce medical complications.

A Passion for Preventing ProblemsMeanwhile, geriatricians’ strong emphasis on preven-tion seeks to make changes in patients’ lives before they get to the point where they need aggressive treatment. Eating healthier foods and exercising at any age makes people less likely to fall victim to a cascade of problems as they age, Durso notes. For example, patients who don’t walk around much lose leg strength, putting

them at greater risk of falls and hip fractures, which further reduces their mobility.

One Johns Hopkins program put a group of older people in elementary school classrooms 15 hours a week to help tutor children. “Preliminary evidence has shown improvement across a range of functions for these people,” Durso says. “And the kids are doing better in school, too.”

Bellantoni notes that Johns Hopkins’ passion for improv-ing older patients’ health doesn’t mean there is no room to acknowledge the inevitability of death. In fact, the faculty takes a strong interest in helping those who have come to the natural end of their lives to do so with dignity and comfort.

“After we’ve done all we can to physically rehabilitate patients and help them live a good life,” she says, “we try to establish a relationship with them and their families that allows us to help them prepare for a good death.” But fore-most on the faculty’s minds, she adds, is embodying the hope that medical care can provide to patients whose problems so often prove to be treatable.

“We’re passionate about the care we provide,” Bellantoni says, “and we want to share that passion so that people don’t equate geriatrics with pessimism.” �

Great medical care doesn’t have to be limited to hospitals or doc-tors’ of� ces. The Johns Hopkins Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology is looking at several new models of care that meet older patients’ needs with minimum disruption to their environments and lifestyles. Some of the projects involve alternatives to nursing homes, including bringing health care practitioners to patients’ homes for exams, and transporting people several times a week from their homes to centers that provide social activities and access to health services for older people.

But the most ambitious program seeks to provide patients who require the sort of acute care normally provided in a hospital a chance to receive that care right in their homes. Even serious ill-nesses such as congestive heart failure and pneumonia are being treated at home, with the care sometimes including sophisticated monitors, intravenous drips and blood tests. Nurses typically come by the patient’s home two times a day, and every few days a doctor stops in—a signi� cant expense, to be sure, but a fraction of the cost of hospital care.

“This is one of the most novel and potentially important innova-tions in health care delivery,” says Samuel Durso, M.D., director of the geriatrics division. “We’re actually seeing patients come out with better results by skipping the hospital.”

HOSPITAL CARE at HOME

Watch a video of Johns Hopkins geriatrician Michele Bellantoni, M.D., discussing aging and geriatric medicine at hopkinsmedicine.org/intlseminars.



� rstperson

Sue Hu � nally � nds relief for a wound that wouldn’t heal

Edging Out Vein Disorders

FIND OUTMORE ABOUT

VENOUS ULCERS

from Johns Hopkins vascular surgeon Jennifer Heller, M.D. In less than � ve minutes,

she discusses causes, symptoms and risk factors. Visit

tinyurl.com/jhm-heller to learn more now.

I didn’t know exactly what was wrong. But I’d developed a deep, painful wound on my right foot. It made walking di� cult, and the discomfort even kept me awake at night.

I was diagnosed with a venous ulcer. A dermatologist sent me to a vein clinic, where they performed minor surgery. But the procedures performed were incom-plete, so I developed another ulcer.

� at’s when my dermatologist said, “You need a higher level of care. I think you should go to Johns Hopkins.” � ose were her exact words.

So I went to the Johns Hopkins Vein Center. � at’s where all the pieces of the puzzle came together and I learned the extent of my venous insu� ciency. I met Jennifer Heller, M.D., who reviewed the treatment options with me and answered all my questions. It was really important to me to have a specialist I could have a dialogue with. We talked about what was best for me, and we went forward with it.

For three months, I wore a bandage from my knee to my toes, which was changed every week at the vein center. I also wore a special boot that helped me heal and provided support. About halfway through my treatment, they per-formed minor surgery to repair the vein that had been causing the problem.

Later, they told me I’d need to wear support stockings most of the time from now on. � at’s something no one had said before I came to Johns Hopkins. I’m an advocate for my own health, and this is the kind of information I want. It’s about improving quality of life.

I would not want to have to go through this again, so I’m glad to have the good news that my ulcer is healed. �

To watch a video of Sue Hu telling her story, visit hopkinsmedicine.org/mystory. For more information, appointments or consultations, call +1-443-287-6080.

VENOUS INSUFFICIENCY EXPLAINED

� In people who have venous insuf� ciency, blood in the legs doesn’t circulate properly and instead pools in areas like the feet. Where it pools, tissue deteriorates and causes a deep wound to form from the inside out.

� This condition can be misdiagnosed, or surgery is performed on the veins without addressing the nonhealing wound.

� Signs of a venous insuf� ciency include swelling of the legs; varicose veins that cause daily symptoms such as aching, throbbing or itching; a rash around the ankle; or a wound on the leg or foot that just won’t heal.

| 10 | johns hopkins health fall 2011

FdJHFA1102_10_1st_Person.indd 10 9/29/11 1:30 PM

Cause and effeCtw fecal incontinence is more

common in older adults and slightly more common in women.

w Primary causes include nerve damage from strenuous defeca-tion and injuries to the sphincter muscle during childbirth.

w there are two kinds of fecal incontinence: urge inconti-nence is the sudden need to have a bowel move-ment. Passive incontinence is loss of bowel control.

w treatment options depend on the type of fecal incontinence. an ultrasound of the inside of the anus is one method used to evaluate a patient’s fecal control.

It’s understandable that people don’t like to talk about their fecal

incontinence. But they should say something: Dialogue with a physician opens the possibilities to treatment, including one recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Fecal incontinence occurs when a faulty rectum or sphincter muscle causes loss of bowel control. One standard therapy, a surgical procedure to tighten the sphincter, isn’t ideal, considering the fairly high rates of infection and discomfort, says Susan Gearhart, M.D., a colorectal surgeon at Johns Hopkins. Collagen injec-tions are also used, but they’re not a permanent solution.

The newly FDA-approved treat-ment for fecal incontinence, called sacral nerve stimulation, has been used for about 10 years to help

people with urinary incontinence. A device about the size of a large coin is implanted in the upper buttocks and delivers tiny electrical pulses that stimulate the nerves related to the rectal and sphincter muscles.

Johns Hopkins is one of very few institutions in the U.S. currently offering this therapy. Especially for patients who have tried other treat-ments unsuccessfully, it’s an option well worth exploring. Johns Hopkins employs a team of urogynecolo-gists, urologists, colorectal surgeons and gastroenterologists.

“If you decide to undergo this type of therapy, you need a team like we have with experience in this apparatus,” Gearhart says. “It’s important for people with fecal incontinence to come for-ward. It’s nothing to be ashamed of, and we have better options than ever to help.” n

secondopinion

take ControlIf you have fecal incontinence, a newly

approved treatment might be the solution you’ve been seeking

For more information, appointments or consultations, call +1-443-287-6080.


FdJHFA1102_11_2nd_Opinion.indd 11 9/29/11 1:30 PM

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